Labour blasted for anti-Scots hypocrisy

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A Scottish National Party (SNP) politician has blasted the British Labour party for its hypocrisy and the apparent intentional damage to the public services in Scotland as opposed to England.
Kenny MacLaren, the Paisley councilor whose party is leading a campaign for Scottish independence, wrote in a comment piece for Herald Scotland that Scottish Labour lawmakers are supporting their party’s Cuts Commission proposals for Scotland but not for England.
The Cuts Commission is advancing plans to take away free bus passes from pensioners in Scotland without the evaluation of the impact it leaves on the elderly.
The Scottish Labour lawmakers are supporting the same plans for England, but they have demanded a means-testing pre-requisite before any free bus passes in England could be withdrawn.
“So I was surprised to see that several Labour MPs from Scotland signed an Early Day Motion in the Commons, in January 2012 calling on the Coalition Government not to means test the bus pass,” MacLaren said.
“So according to Labour, pensioners in Scotland must lose their free bus passes but Scottish Labour MPs will stand up and defend free passes in England. Is this the price of the Union?”
The SNP will hold a referendum on Scottish independence in autumn 2014, which will break up the United Kingdom of Scotland and England in case of a yes vote.
Many pensioners in Britain earn less than £10,000 a year and a little addition or cut to their earning can seriously affect their living.
Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said last month that free bus passes, free education and free personal care are “hard-won gains” of devolution from Britain.
Polls show nearly two-third of Scots will vote for independence in the 2014 referendum if it makes them £500 a year better off.
AMR/HSN/HE